Halloween Special Part 1 – What If… [67] Lost To Emotion

What If? – Alternate Stories

These are non-canon stories that explore alternate takes on events and chapters from Books One and Two of The Chronicles of a Scalebound Sage. What if someone died who otherwise survived? What if someone made a different choice? What if a member of the group went their own way?

Each story explores a different possibility, asking one simple question: What if…?

If you'd like to read more of these alternate stories and explore other possibilities within the series, consider becoming a patron!

For this first What If, we're exploring a particularly interesting possibility: What if Tanisha had chosen to become a Herne Hunter instead of a Cernunnos? Buckle up, because this is no ordinary change in her path. We're talking about a monstrous transformation that could change everything.

Book 1 – Reincarnated as a Hydra Familiar [67]: Lost to Emotions

PART 1 HUNTER RISES

Bjorn finally made it to the location of the secret Isi tunnel; the location was off the road in a forested area of the inner city. The entrance didn’t look like much, just a rock face nestled against a pond. There were no indications that it was actually anything of note. 

The problem was that there were still a few knights chasing them. After Tanisha killed one of them, the others only became more furious in their attacks. 

The knights were all wizards using enchanted armor that both enhanced their abilities and offered excellent protection. Tyr, Svan and Tanisha had successfully held them back, but the armor was a tough obstacle. They decided to hold their ground at the entrance. Bjorn wasn’t as useful as he wanted to be since he was hitched to a wagon, which made it difficult for him to turn.

Right as the clash between the knights and the party began, the rock face that made up the hidden tunnel slowly opened. Bjorn saw cautious faces inside the dark tunnel. Then a man quickly stepped out when he saw Bjorn.

“It’s master Tyr!” the man yelled. “If you can fight we have to help him!”

It took only moments for eight sword-wielding disciples of Isi to rally to their aid. The majority of the crowd, about thirty-two in total, seemed to be women and children. The sword wielders were the only men in the group. Bjorn was happy to see Owen run out of the crowd with his trusty spear in hand.

“Help the master!” a man screamed. “Don’t let the knights escape!”

Bjorn turned his attention back to the knights. They seemed panicked at the sudden influx of enemies but were unable to disengage. However, his attention was again taken by the taste of darkness magic in the air. His heads immediately looked for the source because that taste could only mean there were more Shadow Constructs. Each head identified a different person amongst the crowd of new warriors running towards the fight with the knights.

“You see anything?” Bjorn asked Failsafe.

“Bjorn! Look out!” Helina's voice rang out at the same time Failsafe screamed in his head.

Bjorn turned one of his heads and saw her pointing at a man only a few feet away from him. His sword stabbed forward and pierced Bjorn’s side, causing the familiar to roar in pain. Bjorn immediately retaliated with a swipe of his claws, and he felt the sword slice downward out of him as the construct dodged the attack. Bjorn tried to quickly give chase, but the wagon prevented him from being able to turn and attack. 

Bjorn was a long way from out of the fight, but the sudden attack caused everyone to wonder what was going on. Tanisha was almost impaled by a blitz strike from the knight she was fighting when she turned to see what had happened to Bjorn. She was saved by one of the new disciples, who used Flash Step to enter the fight. She had to go back into her own battle; the momentary distraction almost cost the girl her life.

Owen came to Bjorn’s side and thrusted his spear forward with precision. The construct dodged the spear that aimed for the spot its head had occupied mere milliseconds before. The goblin was relentless, though, more strikes followed; faster each time. Before it could counter-attack, a single beam of glowing water hit the construct’s head, making it go limp on the spot. Bjorn followed the stream of water with his eyes back to Helina, who had collected water into three glowing orbs.

With this enemy dealt with Bjorn had to turn his attention to the others. He still tasted the darkness magic in the air, so he used Identify on the newcomers. An unusual error message appeared for one of the disciples that was moving in a beeline straight for Tyr. Right as he turned his body he saw another error message, this one in the crowd of people behind Helina. 

The construct looked like a child, but as it ran towards the unexpecting goblin woman its arm elongated into a thin blade. Bjorn roared, which temporarily caused everyone to freeze in place. Except for Tanisha, who was completely unaffected. It wasn’t a natural freeze either; it was some sort of Intimidation Roar. Bjorn's confusion turned to frustration as he discovered yet another power before Failsafe.

Tanisha was confused, but used the moment she had to place a well-positioned punch on the knight she was fighting. The world was frozen for only a moment more, and Tanisha used her connection to Bjorn to get a sense of his hostility towards a man frozen in place who was running towards Tyr. That person was a construct, she knew for certain after she used Identify on him. However, it wasn’t the person Bjorn was focused on the most. He started moving towards the open tunnel and when Tanisha saw why she took off running, too.

“Tyr, there’s a shadow construct behind you!” she yelled, running in the opposite direction. “Helina, run!”

The effect of Bjorn’s Intimidation Roar wore off and everyone jolted back to life. The warnings Tanisha had yelled reached everyone. Tyr used Flash Step to dodge the construct that aimed to assassinate him. Helina on the other hand had no time; the construct came to life a moment before she did. Its blade was already whistling through the air before she could move. Bjorn and Tanisha pushed as quickly as they could to get to the goblin mother. The blade hit flesh then bone then flesh before exiting her neck. 

“Helina!” Tanisha screamed.

Helina’s body fell to her knees before slumping over to the side head rolling free. The construct wasted no time and ran toward the furious pair. Its body elongated until it was only humanoid in shape but pitch black in form. It dodged Tanisha’s punches easily, even as maya poured out of her like a fountain. No longer blue-green but fully red as she unintentionally delved deeper into her connection to the Infernal Plane. She let the maya flow from her and fully embraced the infernal influence.

The power and rage she felt threatened to corrupt her as it had Bjorn a few weeks ago. Her maya veins felt like they were on fire as they dug deeper into her and started the construction of maya meridians. Pain only further caused her mind to swim in the sea of power she felt within the maya. It made her want to relinquish all control to it. She could feel the promise of power within it as her body moved on its own.

Racial Evolution Progress

You have met the requirements to ascend Racial Hierarchy. Your core has been touched by the Infernal Planes, and where some would crumble you have thrived. New options unlocked. Please select one option to evolve.

Current: Wendigo (Normal)

Evolution 1: Nature's Wrath (Greater)

Evolution 2: Herne Hunter (Greater)

Please assign Racial Hierarchy within 2 day(s) or evolution(s) will be lost.

Evolve into Nature's Wrath (Greater Wendigo) [Yes/No]

Evolve into Herne Hunter (Greater Wendigo) [Yes/No]

Tanisha’s mind churned as infernal energies clawed their way into her soul. The menu before her pulsed like a living thing, its malignant aura grabbing her attention, dragging her deeper into the abyss. Her eyes locked onto the words Herne Hunter—they echoed in her mind, each syllable like a tolling bell. Power. That was what it promised. Power to destroy. Power to kill.

The maya surged within her, corrosive and intoxicating. Her thoughts fractured as rage consumed her, blotting out reason. Kill Loki. The words beat in her chest, a mantra of violence that drowned out everything else. She chose. Without hesitation, she chose to evolve.

The transformation began instantly. The maya erupted from her core, blazing through her veins like molten fire. Her body convulsed, limbs contorting as her screams pierced the battlefield. Each nerve ignited in agony as the infernal energy twisted her from within.

It all happened in the middle of the fight. Her cloak of maya thickened, its blue hue darkening as it lashed out uncontrollably. The shadow construct struck her again and again, its sword-like arms carving shallow gashes into her flesh. However her blood was no longer blood, it was maya, thick and black, spilling out in streams that hissed and crackled upon contact with the air.

“I will kill you, Loki!” she shrieked, her voice raw and broken, tearing from her throat like a wounded animal. “I’m coming for you! Do you hear me? I will end you!”

Bjorn crashed into the fray, his massive jaws snapping down with relentless ferocity, shattering one of the construct’s limbs. Owen followed, his tear-streaked face hardened with resolve as he struck with precision. Together, they brought the construct down, its dark form collapsed.

For Tanisha, the battle wasn’t over. Her mind, warped by the maya, refused to let go. She lunged at the fading remnants of the construct, clawing, biting, tearing at the vanishing scraps as though they were Loki himself. When it was gone, she rose, her chest heaving, her screams of fury directed at the uncaring sky.

Then the pain struck. It was as though her body had been set ablaze from the inside out. She doubled over, her screams turning guttural as she vomited violently—first bile, then searing hot blood laced with tar-like maya. It burned her throat as it escaped, its noxious fumes filling the air. Her mana core shattered within her, the shards consumed by the abyssal energy of the Infernal Planes.

Her skin began to split. Blackened veins spread like cracks in porcelain, her flesh flaking away in pieces to reveal a dull, grey canvas beneath. Her tiara bled, thick rivulets of black ichor dripping into her matted hair. Her antlers cracked audibly, splintering and breaking apart with each wave of torment. New ones surged forth, jagged and black as obsidian, shimmering with an eerie, ghostly light.

Her jaw dislocated with a sickening pop, stretching unnaturally as her lips split at the corners. Rows of jagged, shark-like teeth erupted from her gums, forcing a grotesque smile onto her face. Her hair lengthened wildly, a tangled mane as dark as her seething rage. Her eyes went last. The pupils dissolved into a white void, devoid of emotion, devoid of humanity.